Did you know eczema affects 10 to 20% of children? I see many children in my Pediatric practice who are suffering from its effects. Not only is eczema a common condition, but it’s distressing and prone to complications (such as infection and bleeding). Children with eczema (and their parents) will also know that it is often associated with other difficulties such as poor quality sleep due to constant itching, scratching and bleeding.

These issues make life difficult and I believe both the community and health professionals understate the impact of eczema on children and their families. Affected children often scratch at night and therefore sleep poorly. This in turn can lead to impaired growth, development, concentration, appetite and even learning.

Our management of childhood eczema has been somewhat ‘light on’. We tell each other that he’ll grow out of it or its ok she won’t develop any scars. While this is true, what we should also be doing is working hard to treat the condition effectively, and ensuring that sleep and lifestyle are minimally affected.

We know the following are triggering factors for an eczema flare up:

·         Overheating

·         Dryness

·         An illness, like the common cold or gastro

·         Emotional stress

·         Sleep deprivation

·         Secondary bacterial infection of the skin

·         Irritants (such as soaps or nylon)

·         In some children, exposure to certain allergens

       such as egg, cow’s milk, wheat

All children with eczema respond differently, however I always recommend the following treatment guidelines:

·         Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize…paraffin or sorbelene are good

·        Keep your child cool. Try not to over-clothe them and, where possible,  keep their environment cool

·         Use bath oil rather than soaps

·         Avoid or reduce exposure to allergens if you can

·         Treat secondary bacterial infection aggressively with antibiotics (infection is suggested if the lesions have become weepy)

·         Don’t be afraid to use corticosteroid ointments (rather than creams) prescribed by your doctor. Better to treat the condition aggressively from the outset and then complications and chronic problems less likely to occur. Continue steroid ointments for 3 days after resolution of eczema inflammation.

·         Consider using wet dressings at night to for severely affected areas to reduce inflammation. This will keep the skin cool, moist and protected from scratching

If you are a parent with a child who has eczema you’ll no doubt be familiar with many of these suggestions. Other useful information can be found here. You may even have some of your own strategies that you could share? I’d love to hear.

While the outlook for childhood eczema is variable (children with multiple allergies generally have more severe and longer lasting eczema) the good news is most infants and children grow out of eczema by primary school. Also, long-term complications (such as scarring) are rare indeed. So hang in there everybody, there is light at the end of the eczema tunnel.

By the Chinese Zodiac Calendar, 2009 is the Year of the Ox. Forgive me for thinking it is the year Two thousand and Swine. Turns out we are not only in a global economic meltdown, but also a pandemic of panic. Not a day has passed in recent months that we do not hear updates about Swine Flu. How many new cases, government responses, expert opinions, media sites and the now, sadly, deaths.

In context, H1N1 Influenza 09 (Human Swine Flu) is still a ‘flu in a teacup. Ordinary Influenza A is more dangerous, and always has been. The World Health Organization’s decision to raise the pandemic alert level to Phase 6 is not a response to the severity of illness caused by the virus, but a reflection of its rapid spread.

So what can we do to help? How do we prevent Swine (or any other) flu from reaching our home? Simple measures are the best and no different from any other pandemic or seasonal influenza:

      Wash your hands often and well

      Stay away from sick people and crowded areas if there is an influenza outbreak in your area

      Cough and sneeze into a tissue

      Keep your immune system healthy with lots of sleep, exercise, water, good food and less stress.

Sound familiar? This is probably the same advice given to you by your mother to prevent spreading the latest cold or flu when you were a child!

While the current outbreak of Swine Flu should not be dismissed as unimportant, we need to keep it in perspective. Deaths from Swine Flu are a reality. However they tend to be in those patients with predisposing factors. Chronically ill children (and elderly people), perhaps with ongoing lung or heart problems, are more prone to influenza, swine or otherwise. These vulnerable areas of the population (including those who are pregnant) should be vigilant. Alert but not alarmed, as they say.

 To deal with the panic and inevitable media-hype that surrounds us with Swine Flu:

      Stay informed and link to credible information

      Don’t panic or buy into the fear

      Be sensible and use simple preventative measures

      Be vigilant if you are pregnant or care for vulnerable people

There is no vaccine for Human Swine Influenza as yet. Unfortunately, neither is there one for panic. I am pleased to read in the Medical Journal of Australia that people’s level of anxiety surrounding H1N1 is decreasing and I encourage us all to continue protect ourselves from the contagious nature of both panic and swine flu.